Disney’s mega-summer hit movie from Marvel – Guardians of the Galaxy – once again topped the box office numbers this last weekend. That helped propel it to become the highest grossing movie of 2014. Not too shabby for a talking tree and animated raccoon.
Earning $22 Million over the three day weekend, Guardians of the Galaxy not only beat out two newcomers this weekend it has now totaled more than $280 million domestically and $553 million worldwide (with China and Japan debuts still ahead).
Director James Gunn celebrated by posting note about his movie on Facebook,
“And although io9 may be right, that people like the movie because it’s funny, I like to believe it’s because WE GAVE A SHIT. You aren’t numbers to us. You deserve to be given something we the creators believe in and that isn’t just seeking a big opening weekend. I love my characters, I care about the quality of the movie, and Marvel was cool enough to let us take some risks. Hopefully, THAT’S the lesson – that we’ll see more spectacle movies coming out of Hollywood that the filmmakers actually believe in, and that take risks, NOT just a bunch of superhero or space movies trying to be funny.”
I think he’s right, the humor and sense of the film is important, but just as important is the respect with which the film treated its characters, the universe, and the intelligence of the viewers. The audience will reward films that take some risks.
Even though he probably doesn’t need to anymore, Gunn has continued promoting the film, recently on the fan circuit with stops at places like Dragoncon. He’s even taken tons of pics with cosplaying fans. That’s the sort of loyalty building efforts that will lay the groundwork for multiple viewings by fans and a very successful sequel. We might have to wait a few years for that (2018 or 2019 it sounds like). But at least we know it will be worth it.
Who was your favorite character in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy?